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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — help
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com